WE CANNOT WIN WITHOUT YOUR VOTE!

“VOTE NO ON MEASURE O” – MARCH 3RD!

REASON #31

A POTENTIAL HUGE SETBACK!

E&B’s proposal to drill 30 oil and gas wells and four wastewater injection wells on the 1.3-acre site (roughly 240 feet by 240 feet) currently occupied by the Hermosa Beach City Yard is too dangerous due to the lack of a setback sufficient to protect the lives and properties of the city’s residents.

What Does the Term “Setback” Mean?

“Setback” is the term used in law to define the minimum distance between an oil or gas well and surrounding homes, business, schools, parks, and public roads. It is arguably the most basic safety requirement imposed by law on the oil extraction industry.

Why is a Setback Requirement Important?

Oil and gas wells are inherently dangerous. Although the likelihood of a leak, spill, fire, or explosion arguably may be small, the consequences of an equipment failure or simple human error can be enormous. For example, on February 11, 2014, a gas well owned by Chevron in Greene County, Pennsylvania, caught fire and exploded, reportedly due to a broken bolt in the wellhead. The resulting fire burned for five days and was so hot that firefighters could not get closer than 100 yards and had to call in the Wild Well Control Team from Houston, Texas, to put it out. One worker was killed, but no homes were destroyed for one simple reason: there was at least a one-half mile setback between the well and any homes.

How Close to Homes and Businesses Would E&B’s Wells Be?

E & B’s plans show that its wells would be built within 200 feet or less of existing business, homes, and streets. According to the draft Environmental Impact Report, the site is “within 100 feet of businesses, 160 feet of residences, 55 feet of the Greenbelt and 20 feet of the public sidewalks.” Approximately half of the City of Hermosa Beach is within 1500 feet of the proposed well site.

What’s the Setback Requirement in Other Jurisdictions?

In December 2013, the City of Dallas, Texas, increased its minimum setback from 350 feet to 1,500 feet. Similarly, in 2013 Colorado increased the minimum setback in that state from 350 feet to 500 feet. Setback requirements in other jurisdictions: Maryland, 1,000 feet; North Dakota, 500 feet; West Virginia, 625 feet; Santa Fe, New Mexico, 750 feet; Arlington, Texas, 600 feet; Fort Worth, Texas, 600 feet; and Ventura County, California, 500 feet.

How Can E&B Get Away with Having Virtually No Setback for its Wells?

California law is extremely weak. Public Resources Code § 3600 provides that any well within 100 feet of an outer boundary of the property on which it is situated, within 100 feet of a public street, or within 150 feet of another well “is a public nuisance.” In § 3602 it says that where a property is less than 250 feet in width, only one well may be drilled. Because the city yard is less than 250 feet in width, this law would allow only a single well to be drilled on the site. However, § 3605 says that even this weak law does not apply if there was a well operating on the property in 1931, and there was a oil well on the site of the City Yard from 1930 until about 1980. The fact that something is legal, however, does not make it wise or safe.

THE PROPOSED OIL PROJECT IS TOO DANGEROUS TO BUILD IN THE MIDDLE

OF ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED CITES IN THE COUNTRY.

REASON #32

9 SIGNIFICANT AND UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS

REASON #33

E&B NATURAL RESOURCES SPENDING OVER $2,000,000 TO WIN!

REASON #34

THE SOUTH BAY IS RANKED #2 OF THE TOP 10 SEXIEST BEACHES IN THE UNITED STATES!